What is Applied Overhead

Applied overhead is a type of overhead that is recorded under the cost-accounting method. Applied overhead is a fixed charged to a specific production job or department within a company. Applied overhead stands in contrast to general overhead, such as utilities or rent. Other forms of applied overhead include depreciation and insurance.

BREAKING DOWN Applied Overhead

Applied overhead is usually allocated out to various departments according to a specific formula. Hence, a certain amount of overhead is therefore applied to a given department, such as marketing. The percentage of overhead that is applied to a given department may or may not correlate to the actual amount of overhead that was incurred by that department.

Applied overhead costs include any cost that cannot be directly assigned to a cost object, such as rent, administrative staff compensation and insurance. A cost object is an item for which a cost is compiled, such as a product, product line, distribution channel, subsidiary, process, geographic region or customer.

Overhead is generally allocated (or applied) to cost items based on a standard methodology which is used consistently from one period to the next. For example:

  • Factory overhead is applied to products based on their use of machine processing time
  • Corporate overhead is applied to subsidiaries based on the revenue, profit, or asset levels of the subsidiaries

Example of Applied Overhead

For instance, a business may apply overhead to its products based on standard overhead application rate of $35.75 per hour of machine & equipment time used. Since the total amount of machine hours used in the accounting period was 7,200 hours, the company would apply $257,400 of overhead to the units produced in that period. From a management perspective, the analysis of applied overhead (and underapplied overhead) is a standard part of financial planning & analysis (FP&A) methods. By carefully reviewing how costs are assigned to certain products or projects, management teams can make better-informed capital budgeting decisions. In turn, with better results, management can drive the cost of capital lower, thereby increasing business valuation.